This invention relates to a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake (Cortinellus Shiitake) and a cultivation water tank used for the method, and more particularly to a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms having a high quality after finishing a sawdust-based sprouting of Shiitake, and a water tank used for the method.
In the conventional method of sprouting mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) in an open cultivation bed, there are two methods of promoting sprouting of mushrooms, either one of which is being carried out widely.
The first method called xe2x80x9cA water sprinkling methodxe2x80x9d is a step of sprinkling much water for 1-3 hours every day to promote sprouting of mushrooms, in which mushrooms sprout little by little and sporadically for long hours.
According to the water sprinkling method, much water is required for pouring every day so that the juicy mushrooms thus cultivated contain as much as 95% water which cannot be preserved for long days.
The second method called xe2x80x9cA water immersion methodxe2x80x9d comprises a step of immersing a cultivation bed in water as in the method of cultivating primordium in order to give a low temperature excitement to the cultivation bed for promoting sprouting of mushrooms.
The water immersion method is carried out repeatedly once in 20 and 30 days so that the concentrated sprouting of the mushrooms can be expected.
In accordance with the water immersion method, mushrooms of good quality and having a water content between 85%-90% can be obtained.
The water immersion method, however, has the disadvantage that water control of the exposed cultivation bed is very difficult, the cultivation bed is likely dried too much so as to deteriorate the next fruiting, activity of the naked cultivation bed, which is suffocated when immersed in water, is lowered to shorten life of the cultivation bed, and a fruit-body yield in one generation is very small.
In either method, Shiitake mushrooms sprout from the whole surface of the cultivation bed containing a sawdust-based substrate.
A number of the cultivation beds are arranged in one plane at equal spaces of several cm. xe2x88x9210 cm. from each other in order to avoid deformation of the neighboring mushrooms which are brought into contact with each other.
Accordingly, an accommodation density for the the cultivation beds in a cultivation chamber is small so that it is necessary to provide the cultivation chamber having a large space for accommodation.
Another method of preventing mushrooms from sprouting from a side portion of the cultivation bed has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Publication No.276.431/1988).
According to this method, a cylindrical bag made of synthetic resin film contains a cultivation substrate and a small opening provided on a top central surface of the substrate so that a top portion of the substrate is early matured, and a mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed is exposed so as to allow the mushrooms to sprout only from the exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
In accordance with this method, no small opening is provided at a central portion of a middle and lower stages of the substrate so that maturing of the substrate at the middle and lower stages is delayed to prevent the mushrooms from sprouting from the side and bottom faces of the cultivation bed except from the exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
It is understood that mushrooms begin to sprout from the matured mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed during the first and second sproutings, the middle and lower portions of the substrate mature due to its decomposition in a short time, thus forming several gaps between an inner periphery of the cylindrical bag and an outer sawdust-based substrate, primordiums sprout in the gaps and mushrooms grow from the side portion of the substrate in and after the third sprouting.
Accordingly, it is necessary to control the cultivation by removing a partial gap portion of the cylindrical bag in and after the third generation which causes the same troublesome control when the whole surface of the cultivation bed is exposed.
It is noted that this method is limited only to the sawdust-based substrate held in the cylindrical bag.
On the contrary, it is a recent tendency that a large cultivation bed for growing big mushrooms (a substrate having a weight between 2.5 Kg. xe2x88x923 Kg.) and a rectangular cultivation bed enabling to increase accommodation for the cultivation bed are widely used.
In accordance with the rectangular cultivation bed, some gaps are originally formed on the side faces of the bed so that mushrooms grow on the side faces during the first fruiting, thus discontinuing only continuous fruiting from the exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
In consequence, the rectangular cultivation bed has not been widely adopted.
Even though it has the several disadvantages, the rectangular cultivation bed exposing all of the faces is widely used.
There is another method of growing mushrooms in which a portion of a cultivation bag containing a sawdust-based substrate is cut, water is poured into the cultivation bag and the mushrooms are grown only from an exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 290387/1997).
Even if this method is superior to the conventionally total sprouting method in sprouting and growing only mushrooms from the exposed mycelial tunicat of a cultivation bed efficiently and continuously, the cost of equipment for controlling totally an cultivation bag increases, pinholes are likely and easily made through the cultivation bag, noxious insects such as mushroom flies grow in the bag in the later period of cultivation, and it is difficult to control equally the total cultivation bed.
A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) having a high quality after finishing a sawdust-based sprouting of Shiitake mushrooms.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) whereby a cultivation bed containing a substrate is enclosed in a cultivation bag having a filter, after having finished sprouting a top portion of the cultivation bag is cut to expose a mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed, the top portion of the cut cultivation bag is removed, a narrow gap is formed between the bag and the cultivation bed, water is poured into the gap to prevent mushrooms from growing from the side and bottom portions of the cultivation bed, and mushrooms are grown only from the mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) whereby a top peripheral portion of the open cut cultivation bag is bound softly with an elastic band to narrow the gap between the cultivation bag and the cultivation bed for preventing mushrooms from growing from the side and bottom portions of the cultivation bed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) whereby cultivation is controlled in a temperature zone between 23 degree C. and 25 degree C. at least 3 days before finishing sprouting and/or at least 3 days after cultivation of mushrooms in order to give excitement to an exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed for preventing mushrooms from growing, and afterwards the temperature is lowered to a temperature zone between 10 degree C. and 20 degree C. to grow only mushrooms from a mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) wherein a plurality of water tanks are horizontally mounted at regular intervals from each other in a multistage space frame, a number of cultivation beds are arranged closely in each water tank and a water solution is circulated through the cultivation tanks to prevent mushrooms from sprouting and growing from the side and bottom surfaces of the cultivation beds, but to sprout and grow only from an exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation beds.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a cultivation water tank for sawdust-based cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms which comprises a multistage space frame, a water sprinkler and an illuminator provided at a top portion of the space frame, a plurality of water tanks provided horizontally in the space frame at a longitudinally regular space from each other, each water tank including a number of cultivation beds closely arranged from each other, a water pipe provided at an upper portion of each water tank and a drain pipe pipe provided at a lower portion of the water tank whereby a water solution can be circulated through the circulation beds to prevent mushrooms from sprouting and growing from the side and bottom surfaces of the cultivation beds, but to sprout and grow only from an exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation beds.
This invention provides an improved method of and a water tank for sprouting and growing Shiitake mushrooms (Cortinellus Shiitake) for continuous growing of mushrooms in a cylindrical or square-shaped cultivation bed including a substrate whereby mushrooms can be continuously sprouted and grown only from an exposed mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed for preventing mushrooms from growing from the side and bottom surfaces of the cultivation bed, but to grow only mushrooms from a mycelial tunicat of the cultivation bed.
Other features, advantages, and objects of this invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawing.